Holland America - What Are Passengers Like?
Jun 10th, 2007, 11:30 AM
#23
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[Point taken. From now on, I'll refer to the the average HA passenger as "wrinkly but cultured."]
I guess I fit this rather crude description. It always amazes me when younger people find it so horrifying that a ship might have an older crowd aboard. So many seem to be under the erroneous impression that this group is necessarily boring, creeky and old-fashioned, don't know how to have fun, and a hundred other unpleasant things.
I don't think I have ever read a thread where the younger crowd was generalized as unsophisticated, ill-mannered, inconsiderate, tone deaf (based on today's pop "music," distastfully dressed, or "cute when engaged in sports" (though they often fit some of these descriptions). I do, however, recall a rather heated thread about children on cruises designed for adults only.
Why the double standard? Could it be that our life experiences and travels have taught us to have open minds, tolerance for diversity, or maybe just that we're overall a classier, but wrinkled, bunch of cruise/travel enthusiasts that, gasp, you might enjoy being with or learn something from?
I guess I fit this rather crude description. It always amazes me when younger people find it so horrifying that a ship might have an older crowd aboard. So many seem to be under the erroneous impression that this group is necessarily boring, creeky and old-fashioned, don't know how to have fun, and a hundred other unpleasant things.
I don't think I have ever read a thread where the younger crowd was generalized as unsophisticated, ill-mannered, inconsiderate, tone deaf (based on today's pop "music," distastfully dressed, or "cute when engaged in sports" (though they often fit some of these descriptions). I do, however, recall a rather heated thread about children on cruises designed for adults only.
Why the double standard? Could it be that our life experiences and travels have taught us to have open minds, tolerance for diversity, or maybe just that we're overall a classier, but wrinkled, bunch of cruise/travel enthusiasts that, gasp, you might enjoy being with or learn something from?
Jun 10th, 2007, 05:45 PM
#24
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DH and I have just returned from cruise #9.
we've been on 8 different cruise lines, and number 7 and 9 were on HAL.
we're not OLD as some of you talk about, nor 'wrinkled', but having raised our children, i found it delightful to cruise with nearly "adults only" crowd. they were sophisticated, and properly dress for all occassions. something i can't say for the Carnival cruisers.
Elegant and gracious travelers, for sure.
Just got back from the Athens/Cairo trip on HAL. fabulous.
to each his own......
we've been on 8 different cruise lines, and number 7 and 9 were on HAL.
we're not OLD as some of you talk about, nor 'wrinkled', but having raised our children, i found it delightful to cruise with nearly "adults only" crowd. they were sophisticated, and properly dress for all occassions. something i can't say for the Carnival cruisers.
Elegant and gracious travelers, for sure.
Just got back from the Athens/Cairo trip on HAL. fabulous.
to each his own......
Jun 11th, 2007, 06:25 AM
#25
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Jacketwatch, you are hilarious. KimPossible, while I agree one should be able to post opinions without getting nasty feedback, it doesn't seem to happen. If you think THIS is bad, try saying something negative about Princess at the Princess site on cruisecritic.com. Then you'll know what bad really is.
That being said, I agree with kfusto that you need to watch your choice of words, just as you would if you were face to face with someone.
While I am in my 60's, I still wear a size 2, walk 18 holes of golf 3 times a week. I worked for the FBI at the beginning of my career, have written a restaurant review column for a daily newspaper in the LA area for several years,currently write a women's golf column for our community newspaper here in Orange County and sailed w/my husband our own sailboat all over the west coast. So, believe it or not, despite someone's age, there can be an incredibly interesting person behind that wrinkly exterior.
That being said, I agree with kfusto that you need to watch your choice of words, just as you would if you were face to face with someone.
While I am in my 60's, I still wear a size 2, walk 18 holes of golf 3 times a week. I worked for the FBI at the beginning of my career, have written a restaurant review column for a daily newspaper in the LA area for several years,currently write a women's golf column for our community newspaper here in Orange County and sailed w/my husband our own sailboat all over the west coast. So, believe it or not, despite someone's age, there can be an incredibly interesting person behind that wrinkly exterior.
Jun 12th, 2007, 12:07 PM
#26
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Golfette,
We took that Mex Riviera cruise last December; my husband & I are in our 50's & 60's.
Having taken 2 HAL cruises before that, we were surprised that probably due to the time of year, the Mex Riviera cruise had a lot of younger families. The (younger) men thought it was a great idea to come to dinner in jeans (on formal nights, they traded their t-shirts for collars). The children were fairly well-behaved.
So I would much prefer taking HAL in summer or spring, when kids are in school, and being treated to the old geezers who are their usual classy clientele.
We took that Mex Riviera cruise last December; my husband & I are in our 50's & 60's.
Having taken 2 HAL cruises before that, we were surprised that probably due to the time of year, the Mex Riviera cruise had a lot of younger families. The (younger) men thought it was a great idea to come to dinner in jeans (on formal nights, they traded their t-shirts for collars). The children were fairly well-behaved.
So I would much prefer taking HAL in summer or spring, when kids are in school, and being treated to the old geezers who are their usual classy clientele.
Jun 12th, 2007, 03:52 PM
#27
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Having been on HAL, Princess, Windstar, and the Paul Gauguin, it is my impression that you sort of 'get what you pay for'. HAL and Princess are not that different...more to do with the size of the ship....more people make it more impersonal, but maybe more fun for the kids, or those who like the night life, etc. Most of the big cruise lines have a tipping policy that I find offensive, and I find 'queueing' for anything when one is on vacation a drag, but that said, you should not 'sterotype' individuals who are on this or that cruise line, but judge by itinery, reputation, cost., etc.
Jun 14th, 2007, 05:12 PM
#28
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ArizonaO - do you mean that on a Dec. 8 (when we cruise)cruse, there were a lot of kids on board? The little buggers should have been in school! The reason we chose 12/8 was it was just before schools let out for the holiday period. HAL has been having problems with kids taking over the ship on Alaska cruises. Running thru the hallways in the middle of the night, destroying breakfast order cards, & tying up elevators. Please tell me it ain't true! Anyone else have cruise experience during this time with kids?
Jun 15th, 2007, 03:04 AM
#29
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I took a cruise on RCI December 10 last year, assuming the kids would be in school and I would not have problems.
Well, so much for that! There were strollers everywhere and kids racing through hallways, crawling under paintings at the auction, etc. It was noisy and disruptive and even the adult pool was not safe.
RCI is not HAL (love HAL) but even so, parents seem willing to take kids out of school whenever they feel like it and this is a value time to cruise.
Well, so much for that! There were strollers everywhere and kids racing through hallways, crawling under paintings at the auction, etc. It was noisy and disruptive and even the adult pool was not safe.
RCI is not HAL (love HAL) but even so, parents seem willing to take kids out of school whenever they feel like it and this is a value time to cruise.
Jun 20th, 2007, 12:55 PM
#30
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I love HAL. I think the adjective gracious is a good one.
A few years back I took my kids and grandkids on an Alaska cruise on the Carnival Pride, brand new at the time. The interior looked like a garish old-time Las Vegas casino, and I hated the hoards of passengers. Nevertheless, we had a good time. (I’m really not that picky.)
Then I found HAL! What a difference--a serene (classy, if you will) environment, about a thousand fewer people, what I consider normal people (there were a fair number of “grotesques” on Carnival). We didn’t have occasion to meet many of them (we kind of stick to ourselves), but the ones I did meet were great, including one extended family of 50 from Spain. No snippiness or superiority complexes at all.
I’m not into entertainment or gambling (thank goodness considering my home base). I’m more of a sight-see-er so I rather enjoy the relaxation between the great shore excursions (most of which I arrange on my own). So we head out on our 3rd HAL Alaska cruise July 13, and have booked one for Europe next May. I also enjoyed river cruises -- France and Russia -- for the same reasons.
A few years back I took my kids and grandkids on an Alaska cruise on the Carnival Pride, brand new at the time. The interior looked like a garish old-time Las Vegas casino, and I hated the hoards of passengers. Nevertheless, we had a good time. (I’m really not that picky.)
Then I found HAL! What a difference--a serene (classy, if you will) environment, about a thousand fewer people, what I consider normal people (there were a fair number of “grotesques” on Carnival). We didn’t have occasion to meet many of them (we kind of stick to ourselves), but the ones I did meet were great, including one extended family of 50 from Spain. No snippiness or superiority complexes at all.
I’m not into entertainment or gambling (thank goodness considering my home base). I’m more of a sight-see-er so I rather enjoy the relaxation between the great shore excursions (most of which I arrange on my own). So we head out on our 3rd HAL Alaska cruise July 13, and have booked one for Europe next May. I also enjoyed river cruises -- France and Russia -- for the same reasons.
